Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-06
THE GROWTH OF THE ARGENTINE
REPUBLIC

The following dispatch from Washing
ton to the New York Herald contains
much valuable information about n coun-
try of which too little is generally known:
Senior Quesada, the Argentine minister
has received from his government the
statistics of the commerce of that coun-
try In 1856, and the figures are surpris-
ing. The Argentine Republic is growing
more rapidly than any of the South Am
erican nations. and now stands at the
head of the list In lSSG the imports
were l15,lS5,3SS. the greater part of
which is manufactured merchandise in
GLIDING Il large amount of supplies for
railway construction.
The enormous increase in the foreign
trade during the last few years is phe-
nomenal. In 1876, ten years ago. the i'm
ports were only 5000. 022. having more
than trebled in ten years: in lSS0 they
were Sl5,535, $50. showing that they have
more than doubled in five years: in 1885
they were S95. SG2 ,G33, showing an in
crease of over S20.0O0.000 in one wear.
About one-third of these imports were
furnished by England. and an average of
nearly one steamer per day arrived from
England at the port of Buenos Ayres.
There is not a European port of any I'M
portance, either on the Atlantic or Med
iterranean. which does not have direct
and regular steamship communication
! VI al 4
tevideo, the capital of Uruguay. which
lies across the River Plate.
Not one steamer from the United States
arrived at either port last year. and
what imports there were came in sailing
vessels and by way of Europe. Most of
the imports from the United States con-
sisted of railway supplies, lumber. pc
troleum and agricultural machinery. The
people prefer American cars and locomo-
tives to those of the English pattern. and
Pullman sleeping cars are used on sever
al of the roads: but of ordinary mcrch-
andi>e nothing is purchased in the 'nited
States that can be bought elsewhere. the
European steamship companies. which
control the transportation facilities max
ing such rates that even those merchants
who desire to trade in the United States
are unable to do 50.
The growing popularity of the agricul-
J tural machinery made in this country is
shown by the largely increased sales. and
several shiploads We're sent from New
\ ar EI.. g a..
Argentine Republic are paying more at
tention to the development of the agri-
cultural resources of the country. and by
liberal land laws the government i in
ducing immigrants to settle in the inter-
ior. The Immigration i also increa SING
very rapidly. the arrivals in lSNG being in
excess of 10000. mostly from ITALY and
the Basque provinces of Spain. with Il
arrivals in lS>2 was II DOB in lsS3. G3 =
PIP; in lSS4 92.1O0. and in lSSj. ll0. POO
y large number of English. Irish and
Scotch companies. with enormou, capital
are going into the interior and establish
, ing ranches. while others are engaging
in the business of exporting Dire, >ed beet
and mutton to Europe. This bushes, i
becoming very extensive and profitable.
and the competition of the Argentine>
will be seriously felt by our ranchmen in
a few years. The first carcass of dres sed
beef was shipped to Liverpool "a an ex-
. pertinent in 1877. Now there are five
companies engaged in the business. with
Il capital of nearly l2,000. 900 of dollars.
and two lines of refrigerator ships run
ming regularly. The shipments of
/ dressed beef and mutton during the first
/, nine of the twelve months are s. $50 900.
: The extension of the railway system
has been quite as rapid a the increase in
the commerce. In 1884 there were less
than 1900 miles in operation. in lSS5
. there were 4,941 and on the lst of .Janu-
airy last G.l6l miles, constructed at Il total
cost of f35,000,000. The Argentine Re
public has now almost twice as many
miles of railroad as any other country on
the continent. Brazil has nearly 1000
miles. Chile has 200 miles and Peru
about as much track. but portion of il
is not in operation. owing to the general
depression in that country since the wal
with Chile.
= There is already one line which extends
from BuenoS Ayres to the boundary line
of Chile. and there has been hope that
the government of thar republic would
either build up to- it or permit some private
corporation to do 30. But the recent
action of the Congress of Chile indicates
that the gap of l40 miles which still eX-
lists between the two oceans west of the
, Cordilleras. and is now crossed on mule
E back, would remain. There appears Ia
be a decided opposition in Chile to the
, construction of this road. ON the suppose
ton that it would cause much of the mer-
L